'68 Charger LED lamp conversion ('69 pics too!) Plus Halo Headlight Conversion

[MxRacer855]

I forgot to address your comment about the possibility of the dimmer switch not being able to support LED's in the cluster. I'll definitely have to look into that one. I was actually in Radio Shack today talking with one of the technical support guys about a 12V battery smoking those lights. He brought out a "resistance calculator" to try and figure out the right resisters to use in order to sustain the small amount of voltage required.

This is definitely a crash course in electrical for me (something I know absolutely nothing about). I'm hoping to have a few answers very soon in which I will be more than happy to post. I just hope they don't come from an abundance of mistakes! 

-Jeff

[cjw916]

When I go to restore my cluster, I'm sending it to the guy who wrote this thread:
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,37999.0.html
He's no joke, he's got like ten clusters in the background of one of the pics. Obviously he knows what he's doing!

Did you say you pulled your TicToc and added a Tach? LOL. Same here.

Did you say stock AM radio, then big system in the glove box? LOL. Same here.

[cjw916]

I got pulled over driving to work early this morning, doing 30 in a 35 zone?

I knew what was up as soon as the officer says, 'Damn, man, where'd you get them halos & how did you get LEDs inside your wheels?'

I love cool cops. LOL.

I was early so we chatted for ten minutes, then off to work. He says, 'Let me hear it.' when I went to hop in & leave. Love it.

[cjw916]

Dimmer switch came today. Going to mount it next to the existing dimmer, use it as an interrupt switch for the low beams. That way I can have the headlight switch all the way up, opening the hide-a-way doors, but have the lamps all off, and just the halos on as daytime driving lamps, when I want to run that way. . .

[cjw916]

Hey, Charger_Fan,

I finally thought to take some pics as yesterday was a very Sunny day!

These pics were taken with the hazard flashers on as to illuminate the brighter circuit of the front & rear LED bulbs, as though you were turning, or braking.

I think they are plenty brilliant in bright Sunlight. Certainly, the way they 'snap' on & off is more attention commanding than the 'soft' on & off of older incandescent bulbs.

Side note: I took about ten iPhone pics front & rear each, trying to capture the illumination, it's not as though the phone responds immediately when you hit the button. LOL. Then when I looked at them on the computer, all were either fully lit, or completely out? Then, I'm all, 'Duh, LEDs turn on & off very quickly compared to incandescents, Dummy, isn't that why you started this post?'  

I am still wondering if Red LEDs in the rear would provide the best results? I may still order two just to determine. . .

[A383Wing]

red LED will shine a deeper red through the lense

[Needa68]

We upgraded to LED's on the rear of our 68 Charger yesterday using the Super-Bright Red LED's (1157R) from JamStraight. Follow this link:

http://www.jamstrait.com/1157s.htm

One JanStraight 625-LE Load Equalizer was needed for each LED or two per tail light assembly. It was also necessary to fabricate two short ground wires, one per tail light assembly. The ground wire is needed to terminate one side of each load equalizer. We used the same ground wire for both equalizers associated with each tail light assembly. Installation was quick and effective. The lights are considerably brighter and there was no need to change out the turn signal flasher. JanStraight products were purchased from our local O'Reillys Auto Parts store.

[BLUE68RT4ME]

Hey cjw916, this is a great thread with tons of useful info.  Thanks a lot for sharing!

I was wondering, did you install the relay kit for the headlights to keep from overloading your light switch back in the dash or are you not seeing that significant of a draw with those lights on high?  I had tossed around the thought of changing to newer headlights but this thread put that thought on steroids!   I heard you couldn't/shouldn't run them through the stock system because of all the amps they pull.  You sound like you've checked just about everything, have you verified how much of a load your pulling with the high beams?

Again, thanks for all the wonderful info!  I just left  Sconnie land back in July.  I spent most of the last two years prior to that up there for work.  I was WAY up by Rhinelander but I'm familiar with the approximate area you're in too.  Had plans to move to Chicago a few years back.  Have quite a few friends around there. 

[1974dodgecharger]

LOVE the lights...damn.

[BLUE68RT4ME]

That second flasher on the other side of column, one each side , one for flashers one for turn signals , with the Parker's I ran an extra wire from low beam loom to keep them on with either, the switch backs work great once you get the resistance issues sorted out, I like the look of the being on , I also used the strip lighting , but used it as a trunk light, on the under side of trunk lip seal

If I did the same with a jumper from the wire loom would I be able to run the dual light towers in the front markers and have the whites on with the head lights and the amber still work as turn signals?  Just a thought..

[BLUE68RT4ME]

 

[cjw916]

Hey BLUE68RT, I just checked the thread & saw your question.
First, BEAUTIFUL CAR! ! !
Answer: No, I did not use a relay but I have experienced some 'overload' with the lamps on bright. I assumed that there must be a thermal overload protection type 'thingy' on the back of our cluster, I just hadn't researched it, yet.

If I sit idling, and put the lamps on bright, after about a minute & a half the brights DO go out! I assumed it was a current overload with the brighter H4 halogens. If you switch back to dims, they immediately come on. Then go back to brights they will come on & go out sooner. So, yeah, next I have to wire the brights to a separate relay circuit, if you want to leave them on forever.

Honestly, driving the car to work, maybe 30 times, I've never had the brights go out. I drive super early a lot (RR) and even being the only guy on the road, I just haven't had the brights 'bite me' yet, in ordinary driving, but, I'll get to it, eventually. 

[cjw916]

Hey NeedA68,
That style lamp is exactly the same style lamp as I initially had installed, you can see the a Amber one I HAD in the front prior to upgrading to the current style.

While I'll admit they do work, the newer gen LEDs are SUPER BRIGHT compared to the much less expensive ones that you installed. I would say they are 4-5x as bright! Much safer!

I could be wrong, but compare my Amber photos earlier in the post. If the bulbs you put in were not $20+ per, then I'd say they are still the disappointing ones that I had used earlier. I do see they have a SuperBright red one, maybe it's HellaBright?

Not being a jerk. Just relaying my experience as I had them. The newer, more expensive ones are SO much brighter & safer, my original intention with making the upgrade!

I'm certain Gen3 bulbs are coming that'll be HellaBright & incorporate a resistor circuit, too, so no quick-blinkering or load balancing, or no-load blinker modules, will ever be necessary.

[cjw916]

Someone post this link to another thread about LEDs. Interesting stuff.

https://www.digi-tails.com/dodge/charger/1968

[MxRacer855]

Hey Cjw, I've been trying to figure out rims and sizes. I really like the classic Cragar S/S's on your '68. Would you happen to know the sizes they are?

Jeff

[cjw916]

Hey Jeff,

I'm running American Racing Vintage Series polished T71R 17"x8" front p235/50ZR17 and T71R 17"x9" rear p255/50ZR17; the tires are KUMHO Ecsta SPT. I chose them bc they resemble the original American Racing TorqThrust wheels I had for over 20 years, except updated, ex, tapered lugs instead of the washered T-shaped lugs that came on the old wheels, hex centercaps instead of the old acorn centers.

My friend owns a shop, he got them direct from TireRack for me, at cost, wheels were $195 per front, $213 per rear; tires were $139 per front, $145 per rear; grand total $1,384, mounted, balanced & delivered a day later. You can go on www.TireRack.com & shop for them yourself, there was no choice in the offset, you do hafta pick hole pattern sizing iirc. I think Mopar & Ford are the same, 5x4.5 sizing.

The front could be a 225/50 (one size smaller) or the rear could be a 265/50 (one size bigger) in a different tire manufacturer, and the lip overhang would match exactly perfectly. As I wanted the KUMHO uniderictional tires, they only came in certain sizes. If you go with a more expensive tire, I'm sure there's more size variety available. I chose the KUMHO because my wrench friend recommended them as being a lot of value for the money, and he knows that I 'boil off' my rears every chance I get, and would need to be replacing them often. Lol. They have rim lip protection built into the tire, and other features usually reserved for a more expensive tire. I'm very happy with the tire he recommended. Plenty sticky, quiet, unidirectional pattern, rim lip protection, I like them.

Email me direct cjw916@hotmail.com or text me 608-692-1374 I can send you pics of clearances, lip, overhang, etc.

Christopher

[cjw916]

I finally got my relays installed. I used two 30Amp thermal fuses, then one relay for low beams (LH yellow leads), one relay for high beams (RH red leads). Since I mounted mine under my battery tray, where the vacuum can is supposed to go, I just ran a 10gauge (30Amp wire) Red hot and 10gauge Black ground directly off the battery. I know, if I ran the hot all the way to the alternator positive it would bypass my Amp meter. I wasn't that concerned with that.

The signal wires come form the left, I used male blades to insert in original female blade leads, so I didn't hafta cut any wires, just taped everything up after making connections. Used female blades out to lamp leads that head out toward right.

Can't see anything with the battery installed. :-)

Must've done it correctly? Everything works!

[A383Wing]

nothing will work down the road unless you get rid of those cheese-ball battery cable ends....those are only for quick fix, not long term use

[cjw916]

Man, you hit me in two places. LOLz! Yah yah. They're on 'the list'. :-)

[Stegs]

I for sure want to do this to my parking lights up front!....mine aren't as bright as I want them to be ....and there is nothing like a almost dusk drive with just parking lights on


Anybody have just a right up for the front parking light?

or a link to the bulbs/harness I need?

[cjw916]

These are the Amber 1157 style bulbs that I used:

http://www.mustangproject.com/ProductDisplay.aspx?ID=aedc3bb8-873b-4521-afa2-e28561255b91

They are very bright & I am satisfied with them.

The pics are the bulb, the bulb on dim, and the bulb on bright.

[cjw916]

If you want the absolute brightest Amber bulbs made, I would get these:

http://www.mustangproject.com/ProductDisplay.aspx?ID=c3365651-c344-47bf-825b-e6ce3cd62fa5

I have these in white for my brake lights and they are REALLY BRIGHT! I love them.

[cjw916]

I wired my parking lamps to stay on all the time, when my switch is on parking lamps or headlamps. On my Charger the parking dims go out when you put the headlights on. If you remove the connector from the back of the headlight switch, and pull the yellow wire with black stripe fom the connector with a tiny screwdriver to uncatch the tang that hold it in the plastic connector, then jumper it to one of the double black that is directly beneath it's old hole, your parking lamps will stay lit, even when your headlamps are burning bright, like in the pic. :-)

[cjw916]

OK, drove to work last night and got to see what kind of amps the H4 headlights draw!

WOW!

Made me decide to run that hot wire over to the alternator post, after all! ! !

Parking lamps on, ammeter read about 9 Amps.

Dim headlights on ammeter read about 22 Amps!

Bright headlights on and the ammeter read about 36 Amps! ! !

Rather than burn my car to the ground, today I ran the hot over to the alternator post, and with the headlights on bright, ammeter was @ about 8 Amps. :-)

H4 lamps on bright draw almost 5 Amps per bulb! Glad I used 10 gauge wire (good for 30 Amps)! ! !

[thedodgeboys]

   

great stuff thanks for sharing